Hinge



N 1966 c. A. SECKERSON HINGE Filed July 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 215 -20- /Z1A 17 215 255 322., 3A 235 l FIGI Nov. 15, 1966 Filed July 10, 1964 c. A. SECKERSON 3,284,844

HINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGB Affomey United States Patent 3,284,844 HINGE Cliiford Alexander Seckerson, Iver Heath, England, as-

signor to United-Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 10, 1964, Ser. No. 381,767 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 16, 1963, 28,175/ 63 7 Claims. (Cl. 16-171) The present invention relates to an improved hinge.

According to the invention there is provided a hinge comprising a pin for attachment to one of two parts to be hinged together, a plate for attachment to the other of said two parts, and a resilient clip to which both the pin and plate may be removably attached, the clip being formed from a single piece of resilient material having one portion bent to U-shape so as to have a web and two limbs and another portion bent to substantially part cylindrical shape so as to serve as a bearing for the pin, the pin being rotatably mounted in the bearing portion of the clip and the plate being gripped between the limbs of the clip.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4 are respectively plan and front, rear and side elevations of a clip 'forming a part of the hinge,

FIGURES 5 and 6 are front and rear elevations respectively of the same clip assembled with a hinge pin and a hinge plate,

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the same assembly but also showing two members hinged together,

FIGURES *8 and 9 respectively show two other forms of clip, and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of another hinge plate.

The clip indicated generally at 10 in FIGURES I1, 2 and 3 consists of a single sheet of material which is sheared .and bent to the shape shown. It will be seen that the finished clip has a U-shape portion 11 and a parttcy-lind-rical bearing portion 12 (FIGURES 2 and 6). The ends of the bearing portion are flared as at 13 and 14.

A centre portion 15 of the bearing I12 is cut away from the remainder and is bent inwardly, as at 16, and then outwardly as at 17. The radius of the bearing portion is a little less than that of a hinge pin 18 (FIGURES 5, 6 and 7) wit-h which the bearing cooperates.

The U-shaped portion 11 of the clip has a web 19, and single limb 20 and a bifurcated rl-imb the parts of which will be referred to as legs 21A and 21B respectively.

The single limb 20 is formed with a detent 22 and the legs 21A and 21B are formed in their outer edges with prongs 23A and 23B respectively. Both the detent and the prongs are directed inwardly of the U and towards the web 19.

At 24 in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 :is indicated generally a hinge plate which is formed with a step 25 intermediate its length so that the plate is divided into two portions 26 and 27 one of which is offset a little with respect to the other. The portion 27 is intended to be Welded to another member, e. g. the wall of a box, and bring the Wall or other member into the same plane as the part 26 of the hinge plate. The portion .26 of the plate is formed with a lug 28 and an aperture 29.

One purpose for which the hinge may be used is illustrated, by way of example, in FIGURE 7. A thin metal panel is shown at 30. To this panel the portion 27 of a hinge plate is spot-welded, as indicated at 31, either before or after the spot-welding, a clip is engaged over the 3,284,844 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 portion 26 of the hinge-plate by forcing the limbs 20, 21 over the edge of the portion 26 of the plate until the detent 22 snaps into the aperture 2). During this operation the lug 28 passes down between the legs 21A and 21B of the fastener, so that the legs straddle the log to locate the clip. Thereafiter, the clip cannot be removed from the plate unless the limbs are spread apart to disengage the detent from the aperture and the prongs from the urface of the plate.

When the clip has been assembled in this way to the plate 24 and to the panel 30 the pin 18 is pushed, transversely of its length into the bearing portion 12, the pin snapping over the inwardly directed ridge 16 of the centre portion 15 of the bearing.

The panel constitutes one of the members to be hinged together and the other (not shown) is attached, by any convenient way, to the pin 18. For some purposes the end 13A of the pin may be bent as shown to receive the said other member.

The pin may be made a loose or tight fit in the bearing as may be desired.

Each of the constructions described above forms a robust support for the pin and is entirely free from rattle in operation.

In FIGURES 8 and 9 are shown two alternative for-ms of :clip. The clip 32 has an open mouth 33 of its bearing portion directed at right angles to that of its U-shaped portion. The clip 34 has its open mouth 35 also at right angles to that of its U-shaiped portion, and in the reverse sense with respect to that of the clip 32.

In FIGURE 10 is shown a modified form of hingep-late 36 formed of a rectangular sheet of metal having a pair of opposite edges turned up at right angles to form flanges 37 and 38. The plate is also formed with an open ture 39.

In use a clip 10, such as is described above, is pushed over an unflanged edge of the hingeplate 36 until the detent 22 of the clip latches into the aperture 39, the flanges 37 and 38 serving meanwhile to guide the clip into its correct position in the hinge-plate.

What I claim is:

1. A hinge comprising a pin for attachment to one of two parts to be hinged together, a plate tor attachment to the other of said two parts, and a resilient clip to which both the pin and plate may be removably attached, the clip being formed from a single piece of resilient material having one portion bent to U-shape so as to have a web and two limbs and another portion bent to substantially part cylindrical shape so as to serve as a bearing for the .pin, the pin being rotatably mounted in the bearing portion of the clip and the plate being gripped between the limbs of the clip.

2. A hinge as claimed in claim .1, in which the plate is apertured and a limb of the U-sh-aped portion of the clip has a tang seated in the aperture in the plate to locate the plate with respect to the clip.

3. A hinge as claimed in claim 1, in which the U-shaped portion of the clip is divided lengthwise into three parts, the centre part forming one limb and the two out-er parts forming the other limb, the plate is formed with a lug which is straddled by the two outer parts forming the other limb to locate the clip on the plate and each outer part has a prong directed inwardly and rearwardly of the clip to retain the plate within the clip.

4. A hinge as claimed in claim 2, in which the U-shaped port-ion of the clip is divided lengthwise into three parts, the centre part forming one limb and the two outer par-ts forming the other limb, the plate is formed with a lug which -is straddle-d by the two outer parts forming the other limb to locate the clip on the plate and each outer a 4 pant has a prong directed inwardly and rearward-1y of the References Cited by the Examiner clip to retain the plate within the clip. I I

5. A hinge as claimed in claim 4, in which at least a UNITED STATES PATENTS part of the pant-cylind-nical bearing portion of the clip is, 2,200,047 5 1940 Tinnerman 2 g1 in its unstressed condition, of radius iless than that of the 5 2 2 5 1 5 Fember'g m pin.

=6. A hinge as claimed in claim 5, in which one ilimb FOREIGN PATENTS of the clip is substantially tangential to the bearing por- 545 1 5 v tion and the other limb is spaced from the one 'Iimb on 6/ 9 3 Germany the SI-d6 opposite to the bearing p01 t10n. 10 EDWARD C- ALLEN, Primary Examiner 7. A hinge as claimed in claim 2, in which the plate is formed with a pair of upturned flanges between which 1), L, TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner, the clip is located 011 the plate. 

1. A HINGE COMPRISING A PIN FOR ATTACHMENT TO ONE OF TWO PARTS TO BE HINGED TOGETHER, A PLATE FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE OTHER OF SAID TWO PARTS, AND A RESILIENT CLIP TO WHICH BOTH THE PIN AND PLATE MAY BE MOVABLY ATTACHED, THE CLIP BEING FORMED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING ONE PORTION BENT TO U-SHAPE SO AS TO HAVE A WEB AND TWO LIMBS AND ANOTHER PORTION BENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY PART CYLINDRICAL SHAPE SO AS TO SERVE AS A BEARING FOR THE PIN, THE PIN BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE BEARING PORTION OF THE CLIP AND THE PLATE BEING GRIPPED BETWEEN THE LIMBS OF THE CLIP. 